Muslims: The threat from
within

By
AIJAZ ZAKA SYED

Contrary to the
relatively recent but widespread
fiction, Islam took roots and
spread in much of South Asia not
at gunpoint.

Rather, it
was embraced by
the masses who
were bowled over
by the stark
simplicity and
honesty of Arab
merchants and
traders and the
power of love
and faith
exemplified by
saints and Sufis
like Khaja
Moinuddin
Chishti of
Ajmer,
Nizamuddin
Auliya of Delhi
and Syed Abul
Hasan Hajvery of
Lahore.

They might
not have been
great scholars
of the religion.
But they
promoted and
demonstrated the
liberating
message of Islam
and its
teachings of
love, peace,
universal
brotherhood and
equality before
God with their
actions and
conduct.

Everyone
talks about the
wars that the
Moguls — and
various other
Muslim dynasties
-— fought to get
and perpetuate
their power in
the
subcontinent.
But the real war
for hearts and
minds was fought
and won by
others. Their
power didn't
flow from the
barrel of the
gun or the
sword. Muslim
emperors and
rulers might
have built some
mosques, as a
token of
appreciation and
gratitude to the
real ruler of
the world, but
they didn't
represent Islam
nor fought their
wars for the
religion.

If they
invaded and
fought Hindu
kingdoms and
states, they
were not driven
by any
missionary zeal.
At the end of
the day, it was
essentially a
battle for
power. If
anything, many
of the Muslim
rulers brought
nothing but
disgrace to
their faith —
and the
accusation that
its growth is
indebted to the
long and
powerful swords
of the Moguls,
Khiljis and
Lodhis.

If South Asia
is home to a
huge chunk of
the world's
Muslim
population —
nearly half of
it — today, the
credit should
largely go to
real men of God.

What kind of
people target
such men of God,
and people who
love and revere
them? And in the
end what are
they trying to
prove? Can there
be a more
heinous crime
than targeting
men who spent
all their lives
in the service
of God and
humanity? But
then what can
you expect from
the folks who do
not spare God's
own abode and
unsuspecting,
innocent men,
women and
children praying
there? And all
this, of course,
in the sweet
name of God, for
crying out loud!
They claim to be
our protectors
and guardians
and the
defenders of our
faith. And they
are saving and
protecting us
from our enemies
by killing us!
Indeed, with
friends like
these, Muslims
do not need any
enemies.

I've never
been to Lahore
(or Pakistan for
that matter.)
But as the home
of Iqbal and
Faiz, it enjoys
a special place
in my heart.
However, to most
people in
Pakistan and
across the
border in India,
Lahore is known
as Data ki
Nagari or the
Data's city in
reverence to the
legendary saint
and scholar Syed
Abul Hasan
Hajvery.

After
wandering in the
subcontinent,
Data Gunj Baksh,
as he's
popularly known,
chose Lahore as
his home to
continue his
mission of
promoting faith
and love and
showing the
right path for
over a thousand
years. He's also
the author of
the most
celebrated text
on Sufism.

All Sufis did
nothing but
spread love,
tolerance,
kindness,
generosity,
acceptance and
inclusion. The
greatest of all
Sufi poet
philosophers
Jalaluddin Rumi,
who cast a
lifelong spell
on Iqbal, wrote:
"The way of love
differs from all
others; lovers
(of God) owe
allegiance to no
nation or sect
(but the way of
God)."

That was the
way of the
Sufis. Their
doors were open
for everyone,
feeding the
hungry and
sheltering the
weak. Some of us
may not agree
with their
interpretation
of Islam or some
of the practices
their
overzealous
followers have
introduced over
the centuries.
But this is not
about Sufism or
how it's being
commercially
exploited by
some.

This is about
the increasingly
dangerous and
totally absurd
interpretation
of Islam. It's
an appalling
crime to send an
impressionable
16-year-old to
blow himself up
at the popular
shrine of a
great saint who
preached nothing
but love and
kindness. But
it's an even
greater crime
and ultimate
calumny against
the religion
when it's done
in the name of
Islam.

In fact, it's
an affront to
all religions.
Perhaps no other
faith abhors and
warns against
violence and
injustice of all
kinds and strife
as Islam does.
In fact, if
Islam means
acceptance or
submission to
the will of God,
it also means
peace,
literally. More
important, it
preaches
moderation,
restraint and
reason in
everything we
do, even in our
devotion and
prayers.

It warns us
that killing one
innocent human
being is akin to
killing all
humanity and
saving one
innocent life is
like saving
mankind. The
Qur'an
constantly
cautions us that
Allah does not
like those who
spread strife
and chaos on
earth. We're
told killing a
fellow human
being is waging
war against God
and Allah
promises them
harshest
punishment.

But we have
been here before
and heard and
said it all,
haven't we? In
fact, we keep
repeating this
stuff ad nauseam
like parrots
without anyone
taking us
seriously.

While we
earnestly hold
forth on the
real teachings
and message of
Islam, a weary
world looks away
in disgust as
the jackals in
straitjackets
continue to kill
in our name and
in the name of
God. We could go
on waxing
lyrical on the
peaceful nature
of the great
faith and its
liberating
teachings but
the world looks
not at our
scriptures but
at our actions,
or rather of
those who claim
to be Muslims
and shed
innocent blood
with impunity.

How long will
this go on? And
who's going to
stop this
endless dance of
death? Pakistan
was created in
the name of
Islam and won
after immense
sacrifices and
at a monumental
price. This
endless spilling
of innocent
blood is
therefore not
only tragic but
an assault on
Quaid-e-Azam's
vision for
Pakistan. From
mosques to
madrasas and
from mourning
Shiites to
Ahmadi shrines,
no one is safe.

This is not a
problem
exclusive to
Pakistan though.
For whatever
reason, the
cancer of
extremism is
fast eating into
the vitals of
the entire
Muslim world. A
lunatic fringe
has hijacked
their faith and
claims to speak
on their behalf
and all Muslims
can do is wring
their hands in
helplessness.

In their long
and eventful
history, Muslims
have never faced
a greater
challenge to
their identity
and existence.
This sickness
within is far
more dangerous
than what they
confront from
without.

Where are
Muslim voices of
reason and
sanity? Where
are our leaders,
our Ulema and
intellectuals
when we need
them so badly?
Why don't they
come out in the
open to speak
out against this
distortion of
our faith and
morbid
celebration of
death? If their
voices aren't
heard, they must
shout from the
rooftops but
speak they must.
There's no other
way to stop this
madness. This is
no time to hide.